The Brief Detroit city council approved changes to the city code that will streamline the licensing process and lift burdens for running a small business. The Detroit City Council approved changes to make it easier to own a small business in the city during its Tuesday meeting. City councilmembers and the mayor announced plans to ease the licensing process in Detroit in May in hopes of easing the cumbersome process for owners. Dig deeper:One of the biggest changes small businesses will see is extending the city business license so that it lasts two years instead of just one. Among those are marijuana businesses, which must obtain a business license from the state of Michigan, rental halls, and sexually oriented businesses like adult bookstores and arcades.